Carbon Rodeo Club members take home state honors

Heber City was the place to be for the last 10 days if you were looking for rodeo action at its finest.

Heber City hosted the Utah State High School Rodeo Finals where cowboys and cowgirls from all over the state were vying for the State Championship title. Carbon Rodeo Club kids were among the best of the best.

Dalton Rudman took home the reserve champion title in the bull riding event qualifying him for the Nation High School Rodeo Finals in Rock Springs, Wyo., next month where he will be competing against kids from all 50 states for the National Championship.

Afton McCourt ended up 12th overall in the barrel racing event and 16th in the breakaway. This qualified her for the Silver State Rodeo in Winnemucca, Nev., later this summer.

Zach Jensen and his team roping partner Ty Gordon took home the number 17 spot in team roping and Zach finished in the top 25 in the tiedown event.

JoeCee Heil ended the season in the top 50 in the breakaway event.

Nick Rukavina finished the season in the number 35 spot with partner Zach Trapp of Lehi.

Cody Willis competed in the trap shoot and rifle shoot for the carbon club. This is the first year they have offered the shooting events at state finals. Cody took home the number 26 spot in the rifle shoot.

Kashley Donathan was looking to have a great finals when a terrible accident in the pole bending event sent her to the hospital ICU with a lacerated liver. After spending six days in the hospital she was released to return home.

In the Junior High finals, Morgan Jensen, an eighth grader at Mont Harmon Jr. High took home 4th place in the first round of the Barrel Racing coming back to win the 1st place buckle in the short round. She ended up in 3rd place in the state qualifying her for the Jr. High National Finals Rodeo in Gallup, N.M. She also won 4th place in the second round of the pole bending event giving her the 8th place overall finish in the pole bending.

Carbon Rodeo Club advisor Jill Jensen said the team puts in endless hours of practice and many miles traveling up and down the road to qualify for the State Finals Rodeo. "This is where the best of the best compete, and these kids definitely are the best of the best," said Jensen.